March 5, 2026
Mr. Sorensen introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
To establish the National Weather Safety Board to investigate certain major disasters, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the National Weather Safety Board Act
.
Sec. 2. National Weather Safety Board
(a) Establishment
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, there shall be established as an independent entity a safety board to be known as the National Weather Safety Board
(in this section referred to as the Safety Board
).
(b) Membership
(1) Appointment
The Safety Board shall be composed of not fewer than 7 members appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Not more than 4 members may be appointed from the same political party.
(2) Candidate list
The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall jointly submit to the President a list of candidates for consideration for appointment to the Safety Board under paragraph (1). Such candidates shall have professional backgrounds in any of the following:
(A)
Atmospheric and hydrological sciences.
(B)
Commercial meteorological sciences.
(C)
Social sciences.
(D)
Academia.
(E)
Emergency management administration and operations.
(3) Terms
(A) In general
The term of office of each member of the Safety Board shall be 5 years.
(B) Vacancies
Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for which the member’s predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of that term. A member may serve after the expiration of that member’s term until a successor is appointed in accordance with this subsection.
(C) Removal
The President may only remove a member for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office.
(4) Quorum
Five members of the Safety Board shall constitute a quorum.
(c) Offices
The Safety Board shall establish offices as necessary to carry out investigations under subsection (d).
(d) Investigation of covered major disasters
(1) System development
(A) In general
Not later than 120 days after the establishment of the Safety Board, the Safety Board shall develop a system, in coordination with the Chief of Engineers, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Federal Communications Commission, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Director of National Weather Service, to provide information described in subparagraph (B) to members of the Safety Board regarding a covered major disaster before a vote is held pursuant to paragraph (2).
(B) Information described
The information described in this subparagraph is the following:
(i)
The number of people impacted by a covered major disaster referred to in subparagraph (A).
(ii)
The severity of such disaster.
(iii)
The economic impact of such disaster.
(2) Procedure
Not later than 14 days after the date on which a severe weather event is declared to be a covered major disaster, the Safety Board shall conduct a vote to determine whether to investigate such disaster. Such vote shall be based on the information provided pursuant to paragraph (1). The Safety Board may so investigate such a disaster only if a quorum of the members present and voting vote in the affirmative.
(3) Entities investigated
(A) In general
If the Safety Board votes in the affirmative to investigate a covered major disaster pursuant to paragraph (2), the Safety Board shall carry out the following:
(i)
Investigate, with respect to such disaster, the preparedness for and response to such disaster of the entities specified in subparagraph (C), as the Safety Board determines relevant.
(ii)
Review, with respect to such disaster, the following:
(I)
Any determinations made by such entities as a result of weather forecasts or warnings to protect life and property.
(II)
Whether such determinations were sufficient.
(B) Compliance
Upon request of the Safety Board, an entity specified in subparagraph (C) subject to an investigation conducted pursuant to this subsection, shall provide to the Safety Board any data or information the Safety Board determines necessary to aid in such investigation.
(C) Entities specified
An entity specified in this subparagraph is any of the following, as the Safety Board determines relevant:
(i)
The Army Corps of Engineers.
(ii)
The Department of Homeland Security, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
(iii)
The Federal Communications Commission.
(iv)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(v)
The National Weather Service.
(4) Subpoena authority
The Safety Board may issue a subpoena, enforceable in a Federal district court, to obtain testimony or evidence related to an investigation conducted pursuant to this subsection.
(e) Reports
(1) Preliminary report
Not later than 90 days after the conclusion of a covered major disaster, the Safety Board shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and, upon request, the President, a preliminary report relating to an investigation conducted pursuant to subsection (d) regarding such disaster.
(2) Final report
Not later than 20 months after the date on which the Safety Board begins an investigation under subsection (d), the Safety Board shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and, upon request, the President, a report that includes the following:
(A)
A summary of the findings of such investigation.
(B)
Based on such findings, any recommendations for each entity specified in subsection (d)(3)(C) investigated in accordance with such investigation to improve preparedness for and response to covered major disasters.
(f) Public availability
The Safety Board shall develop, update, and make publicly available on a website of the Safety Board the following information:
(1)
The recommendations included in a report submitted under subsection (e)(2)(B).
(2)
The entity specified in subsection (d)(3)(C) with respect to which each such recommendation was made.
(3)
Whether each such entity has implemented each such recommendation.
(g) Termination
The Safety Board shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date on which the final member of the Safety Board is confirmed by the Senate.
(h) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Covered major disaster
The term covered major disaster
means any of the following:
(A)
A severe weather event that is declared under section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) to be a major disaster.
(B)
A severe weather event that results in any of the following:
(i)
At least 10 fatalities.
(ii)
At least 100 injuries.
(iii)
Rapid-onset mass-casualties, as determined by the Safety Board.
(2) Severe weather event
The term severe weather event
means a hurricane, tropical storm, flood, tornado, winter weather event, extreme cold event, or tsunami.